Country energy profile · Eastern Africa · latest data 2024

Rwanda energy mix & electricity

Power plants in Rwanda produced 1.1 TWh of electricity in 2024. Hydropower is the largest source at 46%, ahead of natural gas (26.5%) and coal (15%).

Hydro 46%Gas 26.5%Coal 15%Oil 8.9%Solar 3.5%

Renewable electricity

49.6%

49.6% low-carbon incl. nuclear

#61 of 158

Carbon intensity

354g/kWh

World 458 g

#74 of 158 cleanest

Electricity per person

79kWh

World 3,860 kWh

#155 of 158

Generation

1.1TWh

+720 GWh vs 2014

#155 of 213

Net imports

0.09TWh

7% of demand

#74 of 80 importers

Electricity generation by source in 2024

Share of electricity generation by source, with the change in percentage points over the last ten years.

Rwanda electricity mix 2024

Source	TWh	Share	10-yr Δ pp
Hydro	0.52	46%	−2.8
Gas	0.3	26.5%	+21.7
Coal	0.17	15%	+15
Oil	0.1	8.9%	−37.5
Solar	0.04	3.5%	+3.5
Total	1.13	100%

Rwanda: electricity in context

Power plants in Rwanda produced 1.1 TWh of electricity in 2024. That is similar to Fiji. Hydropower is the largest source at 46%, ahead of natural gas (26.5%) and coal (15%).

49.6% of the country’s power came from renewable sources: 61st of 158 countries. This puts it 16 points above the world average of 33.8%. It is also above the average for Africa (24.7%). The carbon intensity of electricity is 354 g CO₂e/kWh; the global average is 458 g/kWh. That makes the grid somewhat cleaner than the world average. On carbon intensity, Rwanda ranks 74th of 158 from the cleanest.

Since 2014, hydropower has added the most generation in absolute terms (+320 GWh), yet its share of the mix fell by 2.8 percentage points because other sources grew even faster. Measured by share of the mix, natural gas gained most, up 21.7 percentage points. The biggest decline came from oil (−90 GWh). Overall, the renewable share has barely moved over ten years (a change of under one percentage point).

Against the global trend, coal’s share has risen by 15 percentage points in ten years, to 15%.

Wind and solar together provided 3.5% of electricity (solar 3.5%, wind 0%), compared with 17.3% worldwide. Solar first passed 1% of the mix in 2015.

Rwanda generates 79 kWh of electricity per resident each year, 2% of the global average. Imports cover around 7% of demand: Rwanda bought 90 GWh more electricity than it exported.

How the power mix has changed

Electricity generation by source since 2000. Switch to shares to see the structural shift independent of demand growth.

Electricity generation by source, 2000–2024

Renewables and carbon intensity

Rwanda against the world and Africa averages.

Renewable share of electricity (%)

Carbon intensity (g CO₂e/kWh)

Solar and wind share of electricity since 2000 (%)

Power plants in Rwanda

The WRI Global Power Plant Database lists 11 utility-scale plants in Rwanda with a combined capacity of 0.2 GW. Hydro plants account for the largest slice (66% of listed capacity). The biggest single plant is Rusizi II (44 MW, Hydro). The database was last updated in 2021, so newer wind and solar farms and rooftop PV are under-represented.

Listed capacity by fuel (MW)

Map of the largest plants loads when you scroll here…

Largest power plants

#	Plant	Fuel	Capacity MW	Commissioned	Owner
1	Rusizi II	Hydro	44	1989	Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda
2	Rusizi I	Hydro	30	1958	Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda
3	Nyabarongo I	Hydro	28	2014	Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda
4	KivuWatt	Gas	26	2016	KivuWatt Limited (ContourGlobal)
5	Jabana 2	Oil	20	2009	Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda
6	Mukungwa	Hydro	12	1982	Estab Pub Prod Trans Dist Elec
7	Ntaruka	Hydro	12	1959	Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda
8	Rwamagana solar	Solar	9	2015	Scatec Solar Company & GigaWatt Global Cooperatief
9	Jabana 1	Oil	8	2005	Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda
10	Gisenyi	Waste	4	2010	—
11	Mukungwa II	Hydro	3	2010	Rwanda Energy Group Limited (REG) Government of Rwanda

Source: WRI Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0). Explore all 11 plants on the interactive power plant map.

Solar & wind farms: Rwanda

5 utility-scale facilities tracked by Global Energy Monitor (2026): 14 MW of solar and 0 MW of wind operating, plus 230 MW under construction or planned.

See them on the map Largest solar & wind farms: Rwanda →

How does Rwanda compare?

Rwanda next to 6 neighbouring countries, plus regional and world averages. Click a column to sort; use “Compare” for full side-by-side charts.

Country	Renewable %	Low-carbon %	Fossil %	gCO₂/kWh	kWh / person	Generation TWh
Rwanda	49.6%	49.6%	50.4%	354	79	1.1	—
DR Congo	100%	100%	0%	28	146	15.9	Compare
Tanzania	32.9%	32.9%	67.1%	345	129	8.8	Compare
Uganda	97.1%	97.1%	2.9%	59	116	5.8	Compare
Burundi	75.5%	75.5%	24.5%	184	35	0.5	Compare
Kenya	90%	90%	10%	95	244	14	Compare
South Sudan	1.8%	1.8%	98.2%	643	47	0.6	Compare
Africa average	24.7%	25.5%	74.5%	544	635	962	Compare
World average	33.8%	42.6%	57.4%	458	3,860	31,772	Compare

Calculators for Rwanda

Solar panel outputHow much a rooftop PV system would produce in Kigali, using NASA weather data.Prefilled for Kigali →Wind turbine energyAnnual energy and capacity factor of a turbine near Kigali.Prefilled for Kigali →Electricity CO₂Emissions of your electricity use. The grid here averages 354 g/kWh.Calculate emissions →Compare countriesPut Rwanda side by side with DR Congo or up to three others.Open comparator →

Rwanda energy: frequently asked questions

What percentage of electricity in Rwanda is renewable?

In 2024, 49.6% of the electricity in Rwanda came from renewable sources (hydro 46% and solar 3.5%). The world average is 33.8%. Rwanda ranks 61st of 158 countries; see the full ranking.

What is the main source of electricity in Rwanda?

Hydropower is the largest source of electricity in Rwanda, providing 46% of generation in 2024, followed by natural gas (26.5%) and coal (15%).

How clean is the electricity in Rwanda?

Electricity in Rwanda has a carbon intensity of about 354 g CO₂-equivalent per kWh (2024), against a world average of 458 g/kWh. That is moderately carbon-intensive. Charging an electric car that uses 15 kWh/100 km therefore emits around 53 g CO₂e per km from electricity.

Does Rwanda have nuclear power?

No. Rwanda generated no nuclear electricity in 2024; its low-carbon electricity comes entirely from renewable sources (49.6% of generation).

How much electricity does Rwanda use per person?

Rwanda generates about 79 kWh of electricity per person per year (2024), compared with a world average of 3,860 kWh. Including all fuels for transport, heating and industry, primary energy use is about 530 kWh per person.

How much solar power does Rwanda produce?

Solar panels produced 40 GWh in 2024, 3.5% of the electricity in Rwanda. The solar share is up 3.5 percentage points in ten years. You can estimate what a rooftop system would produce at your address with our solar panel calculator.

Does Rwanda import electricity?

Yes. Rwanda was a net importer in 2024, importing 90 GWh more electricity than it exported.

Sources & references

Our World in Data: Energy dataset (CC BY 4.0) — compiled from the sources below
Ember: Yearly Electricity Data — generation, shares, carbon intensity
Energy Institute: Statistical Review of World Energy — primary energy, fossil production
U.S. Energy Information Administration: International Energy Data — gap-filling for smaller countries
World Resources Institute: Global Power Plant Database v1.3 (CC BY 4.0) — power plant locations and capacity

Electricity data: Ember and Energy Institute Statistical Review via Our World in Data (CC BY 4.0); latest year 2024. Power plants: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). Rankings exclude systems under 1 TWh and values older than 2020. Figures may be revised by the original publishers.